This is for you... xxoo An RTL short, Saving Molly

Yesterday I promised a second surprise.  So here is the unedited version of Saving Molly.  An RTL short story that is how it all began.  I'll continue to put up a chapter each Tuesday, ending on 1-1-13.  Right in time for the release of Jesse's Soul (1/3/13).  I hope you enjoy : )  

Thank you for your continued support and friendships!

Hugs,
A



Saving Molly
Call it a sixth sense, a premonition…hell it didn’t matter—James Noland just knew.  
The trees were starting to change colors, the temperatures were cooling more each day, and the tell-tale sweet smell of snicker-doodles floating through the kitchen made for a perfect Saturday morning.  James finished refilling his coffee mug, then leaned back against the granite counter top, smiling to himself as he watched his beautiful wife of twenty-one years.  She had been college sweetheart and still remained to be the love of his life.  Together they had built the perfect home on a large section of beautiful Pennsylvania countryside, and their pride and joy was doing homework in his bedroom upstairs…but James couldn’t shake the dread looming. 
It was a gut instinct that had put a choke hold on his heart an hour ago as he had been walking out of his study.  Something that didn’t happen often, but when it did, he sat on edge…waiting—knowing it was never wrong.
Not wanting to frighten her, he kept his worry to himself, but had stayed in the kitchen near his wife.  Using the normalcy of her baking a large batch of cookies like she did most Saturday mornings to help to keep him calm.
Karen’s hands were covered in cookie dough, so James crossed their magazine worthy kitchen to the ringing telephone on the built-in desk.  Seeing the name on the caller I.D. had his eyes darting to his wife’s, while sending a quick prayer to the man above.
Damn it. 
It sickened him that he’d been right this time.
This was it.  James could feel it in every fiber of his being.  Sweat immediately beaded up on the back of his neck, and a wave of electricity skated over his skin making the hair on his arms stand on end.  With his heart racing ninety-to-nothing, he blew out a breath and braced himself.
Foregoing the niceties, he put the phone to his ear.  “How bad is it, George?” 
“You and Karen need to get here and you need to do it as fast as you can.”
James recoiled liked he’d taken a sucker punch to the stomach.  “Oh my God.”  The desperate words rushed out of his mouth.
All time stood still.  Using the desk to hold himself up, straightening once again, he glanced back over to his wife just in time watch the color drain from Karen’s face as she put the back of her delicate hand to her mouth.
They had known when the news came it was going to be like a double edged sword.  Only God knew how deep that sword had cut—this time.
Yanking the dishtowel off the counter, Karen twisted in her hands, wiping off the dough and sugar as her chin trembled.  With a grunt of frustration she flung it toward the sink.  An outward sign of anger he’d never witnessed from his wife.  That flash of temper from the gentlest soul he’d ever known…shouted her hurt so loud it was deafening.   
His world, his rock, hurried across the stone tiled kitchen floor, and pushing the right side of the French doors open, she slipped out into the crisp fall air.  Hearing the latch twist back into place as she closed the door to the patio behind her, James shut his eyes and willed himself to finish listening to the man on the other end of the phone.  It was never good news anymore when George Kapp called, and with every phone call James watched his wife’s heart break a little more. 
George and James had been good friends since their middle school years.  They had grown up racing together until James’s parents just couldn’t afford it anymore.  The two had stayed close in spite of their different paths and had weathered several of life’s storms together.  However, the last two years had been a hell neither of them thought they’d make it through.
Even in the gray V-neck cashmere sweater he was wearing, James felt a chill run through him and his stomach churned.  The fire rolled and made its way back up, a line of stabbing pain crossed his shoulder blades right before the acid started burning his throat.  
Sure, the locations where different and the severity of the injuries George called to inform James and Karen of varied, but it was never the news they so desperately longed to hear. 
Having spent years and thousands trying to have children, James and Karen knew intimately the pain of denial.  This was so much worse.  Knowing a child desperately needed help, knowing they had the means to offer her the world and more, left them both frustrated as hell and feeling completely helpless. 
A sweet adolescent, with long blonde hair and big blue eyes, Molly was an innocent girl that James and Karen ached to have safe with them. 
One person stood in their way. 
Ray West was a burly man, and in reality, he was a complete monster that needed to be behind bars.  That was if he was lucky.  If James ever came face to face with the asshole, there was going to be hell to pay.  Normally a very patient man, kind and generous to a fault, the fury that boiled in James’s blood at that very moment had him seeing red. 
Thinking of the teenage girl in pain was the only reason he was able to keep his own temper in check.  Knowing that Molly needed him was what kept the bastard that was her biological father alive.  Otherwise, James was pretty damn sure he could sleep at night knowing he’d found the revenge Molly couldn’t carry out herself.
Gold, red and yellow painted the landscape behind his wife.  The outdoor splendor was wasted on her at the moment as she stood in between two stone benches, her palms gripping the edge of the matching stone railing.  Keeping a watchful eye on Karen as she stood outside on the terrace, James could see her shoulders heave through the tears he knew she wasn’t able to contain anymore. 
One more minute on the phone and he could go to her.  Scribbling down the logistics George was rattling off, he fought to hold it together.    
“Orlando.  Got it.”
“How soon do you think you can get here?” 
Hearing the panic in his friend’s voice, James could tell time wasn’t on their side.  “I’ll call and get the plane ordered right now.”  Calculating in his head, he cringed.  “Pennsylvania to Orlando?  Hopefully less than a couple of hours.”
“I’m so sorry, James.  I’ve been trying to keep an eye on things.  I didn’t see this coming.”
“You’re her saving grace, George, don’t go there.  It’s over this time.”
“God, I hope you’re right.  You have to prepare Karen for when you see her.  It’s not good, James.  She’s in bad, bad shape.”
As long as James and George had been friends, there had never been a dramatic side to the man.  George laid it out like it was, and didn’t sugar coat anything, never making things sound better or worse than they actually were.  His description sent James reeling. 
He swallowed hard and even though the tears were stinging in his eyes, he blew out a shaky breath and held them back.  Karen could not see him break down.  For all the years he had known her, she’d been as strong as they came.  For the last two years though, it was as if she felt every pain that innocent child endured. 
“Don’t leave her side, George.”
“Eileen is here now, we aren’t going anywhere.  The momma bear has roared to life and even though ICU nurses are diligent, she’s got them paying extra-special attention.  You know my wife.”
He had no heart to smile at the truth George had stated.  “Yeah…I do.  We’re on the way, we’ll be there as soon as possible.”
James had been able to hear the steady beeping of monitors in the background during their entire call, suddenly one stayed continuous. 
“Shit.  Damn it.  Hurry James!” 
The line went dead.  Their worst nightmare was coming true.
Before he made two steps toward Karen, she came flying into the kitchen.  Her shaking hands fumbled as she tried twice to shut the oven off, then she went running up the back staircase off the kitchen.
He was right behind her.  Entering their bedroom he found her in their walk-in closet, a small open suitcase lying open on the floor.  Mindlessly ripping items off hangers, tossing them over her shoulder with no regard as to what they were, or if they even landed in the bag at all.  Taking her in his arms he tried to turn her to face him.
Karen pushed away.  “No James.  We have to hurry.  We need to get out of here.  Stop.”
She continued to struggle with him as the fight or flight running through her had launched into overdrive. 
“Karen.  Sweetheart.  Stop.  Just leave the bag.  We don’t need anything right now.  We’ll just go.  Please baby, it’s okay.  Don’t worry.  It’ll all be okay.”
As the fight in her wore off, her knees gave and she collapsed against him, burying her face as close to his neck as she could.  Probably one of the few men in the world that could honestly say he had never lied to his wife—ever, James hoped to hell that it stayed that way.  That young girl lying in a Florida hospital had to be all right, he had promised his wife she would be. 
A fourteen-year-old girl…that they’d never even met, and yet, James knew their world be destroyed if she didn’t make it.